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Opera Europa's Spring Conference
Details
07 April 2023
Wiesbaden / Germany
Industry News
Last week, Opera Europa’s Spring Conference was held at the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Germany. The conference brought together opera professionals, experts and guests.
Thursday 30 March 2023
The conference was opened with a welcome address by Ayse Asar, Staatssekretärin im Hessischen Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst, Uwe Eric Laufenberg, Intendant of Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, and Karen Stone, Director of Opera Europa.
Viktor Schoner, Intendant of Staatsoper Stuttgart gave a keynote on the opera sector today.
Later on, Lars Ebert, Secretary General of Culture Action Europe, and Anita Debaere, Director of PEARLE, presented their structures and how they contribute to promoting the interests of cultural organisations, and more precisely of the performing arts sector for PEARLE* within European institutions.
In the evening, guests attended a performance of Puccini’s Il trittico conducted by Albert Horne and directed by Uwe Eric Laufenberg.
Opera Europ Spring Conference 2023 - Day 1 © Opera Europa i
Friday 31 March 2023
- In the morning, six sessions were held:
- Laura Berman, Intendant of Staatsoper Hannover and FEDORA Opera Prize jury member, moderated a session on “the challenges of the repertoire system” with representatives of Theater Dortmund, Národní Divadlo, Oper Graz, and GöteborgsOperan.
- Fergus Sheil, Artistic Director of Irish National Opera, FEDORA Prizes Winner and Next Stage Grant Recipient, moderated a session on “Stagione operating system” with Teatro Coccia di Novara, Opéra de Monte-Carlo, Palau de les Arts and Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège.
- Sebastian Schwarz, the new Artistic Director of the Festival della Valle d’Itria animated an exchange about the “Festival season” with Festival Castel Perada, Festival Glyndebourne, and Festival Savonlinna.
- Marcus Carl, Director of Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, moderated a session on “the future of the ensemble” with Martin Ajdari Deputy, Director General of the Paris National Opera and jury member of the FEDORA Digital Prize, and representatives of Oper Köln, Lilli Paasikivi Artistic Director of Finnish National Opera & Ballet, FEDORA Digital Prize Winner, Volksoper Wien and Latvian National Opera.
- Ville Salonen, Opera Director of Helsinki Opera Box, led the conversation on “A different scene”, with Guy Coolen, General and Artistic Director of Muziektheater Transparant, and representatives of Deutsche Oper Berlin, Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, and Birmingham Opera Company, FEDORA Education Prize Winner 2020.
Cormac Simms, Administrative Director at the Royal Opera House, held a session on “Rentals marketplace”.
- In the afternoon, Opera Europa held its General Assembly and a session entitled “Open Space: new priorities for Opera Europa” facilitated by our partner BPI - Business Performance Institute & Opera Europa’s Opera Management Course participants.
- In the evening, guests attended a performance of Søren Nils Eichberg’s Oryx and Crake conducted by Albert Horne and directed by Uwe Eric Laufenberg.
Opera Europ Spring Conference 2023 - Day 2 © Opera Europa i
Saturday 1 April 2023
On Saturday, Aviel Cahn, Intendant of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and past FEDORA Opera Prize jury member held a session entitled “Co-habitation of opera and dance companies” with Ted Brandsen, Director of Het Nationale Ballet and member of the FEDORA - VAN CLEEF & ARPELS DANCE PRIZE jury, together with representatives of Theater Magdeburg, Národní divadlo Brno, Lietuvos nacionalinis operos ir baleto teatras, and Opera Ballet Vlaanderen.
Jan Henric Bogen, Opera Director of the Theater St Gallen, moderated a roundtable with EOP and OMC alumni, with representatives of Oper Frankfurt, Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, and stage directors Andrea Bernard and Nina Brazier, Sam Brown (stage director and writer), Michiel Dijkema (opera stage director and set designer), Daniela Kerck (director and stage designer) and Sofia Surgutschowa (founder of Babylon Orchestra Berlin).
Karen Stone, Director of Opera Europa, moderated a session entitled “Creating European musical theatre” with representatives of Staatsoper Hannover and Theater und Orchester Heidelberg.
Opera Europ Spring Conference 2023 - Day 3 © Opera Europa i
